The government yesterday extended the parole of ex-premier Sheikh Hasina by a month until September 6 to facilitate her treatment in the United States hours into her husband's appeal with the government.

Following the caretaker government's hint about holding parliamentary polls under the state of emergency leaders of major political parties said they would not step back from their demand for full withdrawal of emergency before the all-important election.

Lower-ranking police personnel, over 71 percent of the total force, can now expect promotion and posting in a systematic way -- thanks to a new comprehensive human resources policy adopted by the police administration.

AHM Khairuzzaman Liton sailed through the race on the back of the BNP's image crisis and a congealed pro-liberation force to fend off Jamaat that backed BNP candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul at the last moment.

Influence of black money, uncertainty regarding Jamaat support, and confusion among party activists and supporters about whether to vote or not in Barisal City Corporation (BCC) election, resulted in BNP-led four-party alliance supported candidate Ahsan Habib Kamal's outright defeat in Monday's mayoral race, according to observers.

The High Court yesterday upheld the death sentences given by the trial court to nine cadres of a banned outfit for mowing down Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president Kazi Aref Ahmed and four other party leaders in Kushtia nine years back.

Polytechnic College polling centre on Kalu Shah Road in Barisal has only 2,074 voters and is only a kilometre away from Barisal Election Commission office on C&B Road; yet the election officials took about 13 hours to announce its result creating uncertainty and a tense atmosphere in the city.

Intelligence officials yesterday detained eight activists of an organisation named 'Islami Samaj' on suspicion of militancy when they were distributing leaflets that denounce the democratic electoral system on Bandarban District and Sessions Judge's Court premises.

The Awami League (AL) has captured the mayor office of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) for the first time since its inception in 1984, ending the 16-year run of detained BNP leader Sheikh Tayebur Rahman.

Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday laid a siege to the office of Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University (DU) Prof SMA Faiz and kept him confined for four hours in protest against fresh arrest of BCL General Secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton.

The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule upon the government to explain within four weeks why proceedings of the Tk 21 crore bribery case against former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar should not be quashed.

The High Court (HC) yesterday stayed for three months the proceedings of a tax evasion case against detained BNP leader and former health minister Dr Khandker Mosharraf Hossain filed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

In our report headlined "Observers give clean chit" on the front page yesterday, it was mistakenly mentioned that Brotee found the number of fake votes cast has so far been only 2 percent. In fact, it should have been 2. We regret the error.

Editorial

THE elections to the four city corporations and nine municipalities should give the country reasons for optimism. The manner in which the elections were conducted leave us with little doubt about the fairness and transparency of the entire process. A general atmosphere of peace prevailed during the voting; and with no sign of any interference or manipulation or intimidation noticed anywhere, there is reason to believe that a restoration of democracy could finally be turning out to be an attainable goal. The turnout of voters, especially where women's participation is concerned, has been significant.

TWO images about the latest tremor in Mymensingh and Dhaka have jolted us into a sort of apprehension of what could have happened if the intensity of the earthquake were higher on the Richter scale. First, as it is, damages were inflicted at Dhuraura and Haluaghat in Mymensingh, Durgapur in Netrakona and Nalitabari in Sherpur. Secondly, panicked students of Dhaka University jumped out of their dormitories, many of them hurting themselves and landing in hospitals.

IT is time we got serious about elections. With the rest of the world going about life, going through it in the way everyone should, it is surely not right that we should be falling behind. In these long months since the end of the BNP-Jamaat government in this country, elections have thrown out governments and brought in new administrations around the world.

INDO-Bangladesh relations are so pervasive and multi-dimensional that they exist independent of governments and policies. The arrival of Rahul Gandhi in Bangladesh on August 1, for a five-day visit to get first-hand knowledge of the activities of Brac in various sectors, and micro-finance projects of Grameen Bank, is a testiomony to this fact.

NEWLY elected President Ramboron Jadav of Nepal invited the Maoist CPNM to demonstrate its majority in the Constituent Assembly (CA) within a week and, thereby, form the next government. Election to the CA was held in April, so why the delay in forming a new government? The answer lies in the result.

Sports

The season's curtain-raising tournament, the Citycell Federation Cup, kicks off today with defending B. League champions Abahani taking on Jatrabari Krira Chakra in the opening match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Indian International Master Dinesh Kumar Sharma took solo lead in the 8th United Insurance & United Leasing International Masters Chess tournament after the end of the eighth round at the federation hall-room yesterday.

A friendship football match between Adivashi Chhatra Parishad and Pahari Chhatra Parishad units of Rajshahi University was held at the Shaheed Habibur Rahman playground to celebrate the International Day for the World's Indigenous People.

Spanish police said Tuesday they have seized thousands of counterfeit football shirts and other items following complaints by manufacturer Nike and top European clubs Manchester United, Arsenal and Celtic.

Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) authorities yesterday suspended trading of shares/units of all mutual funds until the bourse receives official confirmation regarding the High Court's restrain order on changes in mutual fund rules.

State-owned Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) on Sunday reduced the mill rate price of sugar to Tk 29 from Tk 31 per kg to be more competitive in the local market, said a senior official of the corporation.

Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) urged the government to immediately withdraw the provision in the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Licence Regulations, 2006 that imposed licence fee for establishing captive power plants.

Branding has certainly become the buzzword in the financial arena in 2008! A good brand is like gold in the vault for the finance industry. A quantum leap is occurring in the way brands influence financial services recently.

Eliminating povertyNasreen is a 25-year-old mother of three who lives in a village near Patuakhali. She took a loan of Tk 10,000 from a local Non Government Organisation (NGO) to start a poultry business of her own. Her husband is disabled and stays home all the time. The entire family depends on Nasreen's income.

An anti-adulteration mobile court led by Rapid Action Battalion in separate drives on Monday seized 250 kilograms of ghee and realised Tk 2.30 lakh from a ghee factory and three shops in Keraniganj and the city's Kaptanbazar.

The High Court (HC) yesterday again directed the editor and a reporter of the weekly Shirsho Kagoj to reveal the sources of a report headlined 'A High Court judge whitens black money' by affidavit by August 11.

The Health Rights Project of Population Services and Training Centre (PSTC) has significantly facilitated building a strong network among the government, NGOs and civil society and increased awareness among the community people in its working area, speakers said yesterday.

GPA-5 achievers in this year's SSC examinations spent the first day of a two-day programme at Nandan Park in a euphoric state with students, guardians, artists and writers thronging the venue in hundreds.

Letters

The recent torture on the poor Bangladeshi workers by the Kuwaiti government is outrageous. Reports say that hundreds of Bangladeshi workers were tortured and sent back home, within this week, with no pay while they were demanding an increase in payment. We have also seen the video footage of how the Kuwaiti police were torturing these workers who went to this foreign land to make a few dollars to support their family back home. Some sources say that these workers are getting about $30 a month. Wow! Only one dollar per day for 8 to 10 hours of hard work. It is hard to believe what this oil producing nation of the Middle East is doing to the people from the poor nations. As the citizens of the world, we condemn both the physical abuse and the unfortunate low payment to these workers, and we demand an increase in their salary.

Adulteration of food has taken a serious turn. The unscrupulous elements are taking advantage of the absence of any provision for strict punishment and administrative supervision for implementation of the same to discourage and deter them from such heinous and dreadful activities. Pouring of various types of chemicals for preservation and ripening of various kinds of foods, edible oil, fish, vegetables, fruits etc. is the order of the day with very little resistance from the administration. Use of DDT on dry fish which is a poison is very common these days. The consumers are totally helpless before these traders or businessmen in the absence of any support from the country's legal system and the administration. Some casual drives are made occasionally by the administration in some places here and there and imposition of nominal fines or three months' simple imprisonment hardly made any lasting impact on the dishonest traders and their heinous activities are going on unabated. Food adulteration is a criminal offence of highest magnitude and, therefore, would warrant maximum punishment for the offenders such as capital punishment. Capital punishment for adulteration of food is normal all over the world. But why the law is so lenient to the offenders in our country for such a grave offence which amounts to slow poisoning of the entire population is anybody's guess.

Internet has become the life-blood to modern civilization. But in Bangladesh this great opportunity has not reached all the students due to the shortage of computers. It is true that nowadays a lot of institutions based on Internet have emerged but the number is still not enough.

More than 7 lakh students have passed the SSC exams this year. And now it seems that it is a fault of theirs! They are now suffering, because they are not getting the opportunity of admission to a good college or a college at all. Thousands of students have achieved very good results. And generally these meritorious students want to get admitted to a good and renowned college. But the reality is that the colleges cannot accommodate the students. This problem is getting serious year by year. The situation makes the students frustrated. The problem must be addressed as a matter of top priority. The government should take the initiative to increase the number of quality educational institutions.

My vision got glued into many pairs of little hands sticking out, holding the steel rods of a heavily ribbed closed front gate of an English medium school at Uttara the other day while I was passing by to meet an urgent piece of business. The time was during the tiffin break. I could only mange to see some dark figures of those caged children holding the gate, it seemed as if they were trying to breathe some fresh air.

The letters column is the most interesting and instructive column for the curious and serious newspaper readers. It covers almost all subjects imaginable; from the ridiculous to the sublime! It's an interesting melting pot of ideas covering every imaginable theme, and written by people of various hues; serious, curious and even quixotic and sometimes witty.

Most of the contestants in the city and municipality polls have questionable credentials. They were orchestrating to comeback and take away the country to the position before the changeover. The voters have no alternative but to vote for the corrupt candidates because there are very few candidates with a clean image. The ray of hope is fading away…

After a long time of its inception, if we try to justify the existence of Saarc, we have to think for a while to get the right answer. This regional organisation is always busy arranging formal meetings among the leaders. But the ultimate achievement is a big zero.

The revised ordinance has made it possible to compose and commission the long awaited Truth Commission (TC). The chairman of the TC during his short interview with the satellite television channels apprehended that if the proceedings of the commission were made public through the media, the targeted beneficiary might be discouraged to appear before the TC. Therefore, it might be camera sessions with no public access to its proceedings.

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam has called upon the NRBs to send more remittances. Well, we are trying our best but the government needs to change a number of existing policies that discourage NRBs to come and invest in various sectors.

ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the oldest (more than 100 years old) professional accounting body in the world. Its acceptance is world-wide and still it is growing. Some people call it 'British CA' as this degree-holders can conduct audit work in England like CAs (Chartered Accountants). Knowing its goodwill and reputation, Bangladeshi students are becoming interested in enrolling in this course. More than 10 local tuition providers are imparting this course in our country so that students can participate in it staying in his/her country.

It has come to my notice that some teachers of English medium schools in Dhanmondi and other areas are not at all qualified. Recently, I went to admit my daughters at a renowned school in Dhanmondi and to my surprise I was baffled after meeting with the teachers. The attitudes of the teachers clearly indicated that they were merely housewives who have joined schools to pass their time.

Nowadays, price hike is a common phenomenon. The market prices of commodities have gone beyond the purchasing power of common people. As a result, a kind of inflation is emerging in our economic system.

We are anxiously observing the incidents of extra-judicial killing by the law-enforcing agencies. This savage and barbaric act of killing in the name of crossfire was introduced by the last four-party government, but such things exist nowhere in the modern world except Bangladesh. The criminal also has the right of self-defence and has to suffer a punishment if convicted or proved to be guilty by a legal court of justice. But, interestingly, Razakars are safe in our country.

Radovan Karadzic is now facing trial for committing war crimes including genocide against Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat civilians during the Bosnian War (19921995). But Bush's murders are sophisticated with the pre-approval of the United Nations! During the tenure of senior Bush 500,000 Iraqi children died due to the unjust sanctions. In the recent years, people of the globe observed that for a non-existent cause millions of Iraqis are dying. Why is the world so imperfect?

The sister of a Pakistani neuroscientist extradited to the United States on terror charges said yesterday her sibling was innocent and accused US forces of secretly holding her for the last five years.

Police tightened security in China's western Xinjiang region Tuesday and Olympic organizers sought to reassure residents and visitors after a deadly attack on police heightened jitters just days ahead of the games' opening ceremony.

The Pakistan People's Party is considering to ask President Pervez Musharraf to seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly, in what is seen here as an effort to placate the Pakistan Muslim League-N to ensure continuation of the ruling coalition.

Staying away from the "blame game" between India and Pakistan for the last month's terrorist attack on Indian embassy in Afghanistan, the United States has said terrorism is a threat for the whole world and it needs to be tackled by all.

Mukesh Chabba lit the funeral pyre on which seven of his relatives including his wife and daughter were cremated Monday, the day after a stampede at a remote mountaintop Hindu temple killed 145 people.

One worker was killed yesterday and four others were missing after being swept away while carrying out repairs in a Tokyo sewage system as torrential rain drenched the Japanese capital, officials said.

Arts & Entertainment

Shantiniketan, a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, is famous for Visva Bharati University established by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore with the vision of learning in a natural environment. Most of the leading Tagore singers of Bangladesh are graduates from Visva Bharati University, under Central Government of India.

From 1976 to 1987, Durba Roy Chowdhury spent much of her days in the inspiring and idyllic milieu of Visva Bharati at Shantiniketan. A devoted classical and Rabindra Sangeet artiste and trainer, Durba replicated her Visva Bharati experience at her own music school 'Gayoki'. In a recent conversation, the artiste shared her fond memories of Shantiniketan with The Daily Star.

The basic thing to understand about Rabindranath Tagore, says Lala Rukh Selim, of the Department of Sculpture, DU, is that he was active in almost every field of culture. "He contributed to almost every field of culture, specially the development of modern literature, music, fine arts, etc. of Bengal. Regarding his contributions to fine arts of Bengal, he has contributed uniquely; He was present during one of the crucial stages of Bengal art, when the people of Bengal realised anew that India had a unique cultural past and the artists of Bengal wanted to go back to the past and bring it to the present context, with transformations which gave rise to the Bengal School. When Abanindranath Tagore and others established the Bengal School of Art, Rabindranath was active at that time."

OP-ED

BANGLADESH came into existence because of the folly of the pro-establishment politicians and the misjudgment of the ruling military junta, who were in power between 1958 and 1971. During this period, the people of Pakistan were ignored by the military regimes. Naturally enough, there was no participatory democracy. The Basic Democracy of Gen. Ayub was a mockery of democracy. Nothing better could be expected of the military rulers of the then Pakistan.

IT was a get-together of my school friends. The host, a retired engineer, like the rest of us is in his autumn age. More precisely, we are in our sixties. One of the guests, a self-employed friend of ours, asked our host the engineer what he did with his time. Our host replied that he had earned the retirement and he did not intend to make mincemeat out of it. Besides, with so many television channels, it is no longer a task.

AS the debate on Iran rages in the United States, the hawks need to examine the 2003 Iraq War and its aftermath, pondering the wisdom of George Santayana: "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Defeating President Saddam Hussein's army was the easy part; what followed proved catastrophic for both the United States and Iraq.

SOME critics have accused this column of being anti-Western. Not true! When I describe Western civilisation as "a loathsome, suppurating planet-sized disease blighting the planet" I mean it as a compliment.

Star City

Devotees slowly begin to gather for the weekly prayer. Men and women with traditional headgears assemble around the head priest and the holy book. Hymns of verses like 'Prabhu milbe ko pritman lagi' (Lord, I have this ardent urge to meet you) create a spiritual ambience while the devotees listen to them intently.

On Monday July 21, hundreds of Titumir College students rioted in downtown Mohakhali battling police and damaging buses on the street. Police clubbed the students while the protesters responded by hurling pieces of bricks at the police.